Tragedy in Italy

Five workers killed in sewage treatment plant

Maintenance work at the sewage treatment plant ended fatally for five workers.(Bild: twitter.com/vigilidelfuoco)

A tragic incident occurred on Monday during maintenance work at a sewage treatment plant on the Italian island of Sicily. Five workers died - presumably as a result of inhaling a toxic gas.

According to the mayor of the municipality of Casteldaccia, Giovanni di Giacinto, a sixth worker was given artificial respiration and taken to hospital. According to local media reports, the workers were carrying out maintenance work at the plant when some of them began to feel unwell.

According to Mayor di Giacinto, the workers probably inhaled hydrogen sulphide, a toxic gas that is often released in waste plants. Elevated concentrations of the gas can lead to breathing problems, convulsions and death. 

Debate about safety regulations
Fatal accidents at work regularly make the headlines in Italy and trigger a debate about safety regulations. In February, five workers were killed when a concrete structure collapsed on the construction site of a supermarket in Florence. In April, seven workers died in an explosion on the site of a hydroelectric power plant near Bologna.